The conversion of solid carbon sources to a gas was developed many years ago. One process known as coal gasification contacts coal and steam under elevated temperature conditions to provide a gas consisting essentially of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, also called synthesis gas. The coal gasification processes are of great interest since they generally have the advantages of providing the potential of an environmentally clean process for coal utilization, of producing a high heating value gas via methanation of the product hydrogen and carbon monoxide which can substitute for natural gas, or of producing a lower heating value gas suitable for use as synthesis gas for subsequent conversion to hydrocarbons or chemicals or as boiler fuel.
The introduction of air into a coal gasification process is generally undesirable since larger volumes of gases have to be handled in this process. It is, therefore, desirable to have a process available which uses a different oxygen source than air for the conversion of the carbon sources into carbon monoxide. In cases where the carbon monoxide-forming reaction is an endothermic reaction, a further problem, namely the provision of the heat for the reaction, arises. It would be desirable to have means available by which the heat necessary for the carbon monoxide-forming reaction can be at least partially furnished from another process step. Furthermore, it would be desirable to have a completely heat balanced system available wherein the heat consumed and lost equals the heat generated and wherein this equilibrium can be maintained without addition or withdrawal of heat from outside of the reaction loop system.